


Girl Talk

by lasairfhiona



Series: Blessing in Disguise [6]
Category: West Wing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-20
Updated: 2012-01-20
Packaged: 2017-10-29 20:56:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/324084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lasairfhiona/pseuds/lasairfhiona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The women of the West Wing band together for conversation...</p><p>Post "Dead Irish Writers"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl Talk

Abbey Bartlet wandered through the West Wing. For the first time in a long time, she didn't have an agenda. It had been a week since she'd gone before the AMA and relinquished her medical license. While she hadn't had her own practice for a long time, she'd still been able to practice medicine. Now she was at loose ends and she had to constantly remind herself she couldn't legally treat anyone or even someone she could have helped. As she walked through the Communications Bullpen, she thought of CJ. The press secretary had a way of being blunt and putting things into perspective. Maybe she could steal her away for some girl talk.

Spotting Donna on the way to CJ's office she suddenly knew what she wanted to do. Grabbing the young blonde's arm, Abbey pulled Donna along with her saying only, "Come with me."

The two women breezed through the open door to CJ's office and were seated before the press secretary could even say hello.

"Claudia Jean. Let's go have a girls night out and get drunk," Abbey suggested without preamble. While the night of her birthday party had been fraught with other issues it had been good to sit down with intelligent women and just talk.

"Sounds good to me. I can be done for the night," CJ replied closing the folder on her desk.

Abbey turned to Donna, waiting for her answer. "Josh can do without me," Donna replied not giving it a second thought.

"Who else?" Abbey asked, hoping they would suggest one person she wanted to come along, now that they had a plan.

"Margaret," Donna supplied. "I'm sure she could use a break from Leo, especially after today."

Raising her eyebrow at Donna's comment, Abbey refrained from asking about Leo's mood or the cause. Instead she said, "Let's go get her." Getting to her feet she left, leaving the others to follow.

Entering Margaret's office they found Leo's assistant muttering to herself and looking harried. Before they even got a chance to ask Margaret to join them Ainsley rushed in.

"We went though his files and found a copy, complete with notes," Ainsley said handing the file over to Margaret.

"Thank God!" Margaret sighed.

"Margaret!"

"Excuse me, he bellows," she said exasperated as she slipped into his office.

"Ainsley, care to join us?" Donna asked after Margaret left and the White House Lawyer sagged against the filing cabinet.

"For what?" Ainsley asked.

Abbey smiled, 'bless Donna', she thought to herself before answering Ainsley. "Drinks and girl talk."

"I'm game," Ainsley replied.

"Game for what?" Margaret asked after beating a hasty retreat from Leo's office.

"Drinks and girl talk," CJ answered.

"I'm in, as long as we can have a bitch session about our bosses," Margaret answered, uncharacteristically, showing her displeasure with Leo.

"It's a party," Ainsley declared.

"What's a party?" Mallory asked as she walked in on the tail end of the conversation.

"Drinks," Donna supplied.

"Girl Talk," CJ added.

"Bitching about our bosses," Margaret continued.

"Oh..." Mallory said. "So I take it now isn't a good time to visit Dad?"

Margaret and Ainsley both shook their heads and said, "No!" almost in unison.

"Where are we going?" Mallory asked. She knew if both Margaret and Ainsley were warning her away from her father then visiting him wasn't something she wanted to do. She'd learned her lesson long ago to steer clear of her father when he was in a mood.

"We haven't gotten that far yet," CJ answered.

"The Residence?" Abbey suggested, knowing they would have a ready supply of wine and a person to serve them.

"Too close," Margaret, Donna and Ainsley agreed. They had no intention of being within shouting distance let alone walking distance of Leo or Josh. While both Donna and Margaret were used to the moods of the Chief of Staff and Deputy, Ainsley was a little shell shocked by Leo's harshness during the meeting.

"A bar. There is one the staff goes to..." CJ suggested.

"Secret Service nightmare," Abbey shot down. She really didn't want the Secret Service hanging around. They tended to draw the curious and the curious drew the press and they were the last people she wanted peering in on them.

"One of our apartments?" Mallory tried.

"Roommate," Donna said about her place.

"Mine's getting painted," CJ declared about hers.

"Where are you staying?" Margaret asked, not having heard about CJ's redecorating.

"Toby's," CJ answered, "Although I think he's ready to kick me out of his guest room."

"Oh..." Ainsley suddenly remembered.

"Something wrong?" Abbey questioned. She really hoped Ainsley didn't back out of going.

"Yes. No. Not really. I just remembered Spot."

"Spot?" CJ asked curious.

"The dog I helped rescue. After he got out of the hospital, I adopted him and the dog sitter will be brining him back to my place soon," she explained, unable to believe she almost forgot about him. "So we go to my place," she declared, solving the problem of where to go.

"*Now* it's a party," CJ decreed.

They talked a bit longer, getting directions, deciding what time to meet back at Ainsley's, and choosing who would bring what. After everything was settled, they scattered back to their respective offices to wrap up the evening and tell their bosses they were leaving.

~*~*~*~*~

Ainsley considered herself lucky she was able to get out of the office and home a good half an hour before the others were due to arrive. She'd have time to take a good look at her apartment and make sure the obvious traces of Leo were put away. Her hopes were dashed, however when she heard her name being called. Turning she saw Abbey, Mallory and a secret service agent getting off the other elevator.

"Perfect timing," Abbey commented as she and Mallory joined Ainsley at her door

If she were to have early arrivals, she was glad they were at least people who knew about her and Leo. After giving instructions about how to deal with an overprotective and semi-shy dog, Ainsley opened the door.

Even though the loft was in a converted old brick office building, Ainsley's apartment spoke of the old money and southern elegance she'd been raised with. The one large room was bright and airy with obvious divisions. The walls that weren't brick were painted with a yellow light rolled over a green, allowing both colours to show through. The living room had a sage green leather sofa and two easy chairs covered in a lighter green fabric. The coffee table was a warm honey oak and matched the antique standing bar and bookcases that lined one wall as well as the entertainment centre. Her dining area held a simple four-person table with chairs in the same light honey oak. The kitchen contained all the modern gadgets including a mostly empty wine rack that held only one bottle of Shiraz. The bedroom was separated with wooden soji screens painted with water lilies. The screens hid her antique four-poster bed, nightstands and dressers made from curly maple.

"Wow," both Abbey and Mallory said as they surveyed her apartment.

"Excuse the mess," Ainsley apologised as she tried to pick up bits of clothing lying around.

Abbey beat her to the necktie that was hanging haphazardly over the screens. She handed it to Ainsley with a knowing smile. Mallory was the one who picked up the crossword puzzle. She, however, didn't refrain from commenting as she waved the newspaper. "Dad didn't finish this this morning," she commented, having noted the date at the top of the paper, and then added, "Better not let Margaret see it."

Ainsley took both telling items, and any other she found and stashed them in her bedroom. After she changed from her work suit to a comfortable pair of jeans and shirt, Leo's of course, the last thing she put away was the picture of Leo she kept on her bedstand.

Reappearing in the living room, she saw Abbey and Mallory had made themselves at home. The wine bottle was opened and glasses were poured for each of them. Sitting down, and getting comfortable on the oversize chair with Spot on her lap, she waited for the questions she knew they were just dying to ask her.

"How are things with you and Leo?" Abbey asked, not having a chance before know to ask either one of them about the relationship before now.

Unable to stop the smile, Ainsley replied, "Great and it just keeps getting better and better."

"You two are just too cute together," Mallory declared. "I don't remember the last time I've seen Dad this happy."

Ainsley blushed at the praise coming from Mallory. She was saved from trying to answer by the doorbell. Grabbing the dog's collar before he could race off to the door, she picked him up and carried him as she opened the door.

Chaos ensued as food was set out, more wine poured and Spot decided he liked the new visitors. Settled in the living room, they took turns talking about their day or week. CJ complained about the Press Corps and even though she loved working with the reporters it never failed that a few would piss her off on a regular basis. Donna had some entertaining stories about Josh and just as many complaints. But then that was typical of the two of them. It was Margaret, however, that had the most surprising gossip to share, or at least to some of them, as she blew off steam about Leo.

"I swear, his girlfriend, must be out of town or something. Leo's been in a mood I wouldn't wish on anyone," Margaret declared, taking a sip of wine.

"Wait. Leo has a girlfriend?" CJ questioned as soon as Margaret's words sank in.

"I couldn't confirm it for sure, but he's been different lately. Happier. He smiles more and sometimes I catch him on the phone and his voice is softer. Today, though, he's snarled at everyone including the President," Margaret explained.

CJ turned to Mallory. "Do you know anything?" But Mallory just shook her head, she had no intention of confirming or denying anything. She didn't want to deal with the third degree from CJ.

"I think it's great Leo has a girlfriend. He shouldn't be alone," Donna commented, ever the romantic.

Too busy trying to figure out the newest mystery, no one saw Mallory turn and smile at Ainsley, except Abbey. Both women knew if all hell broke loose at the new of Leo's relationship with Ainsley, they might have another ally in Donna.

"Yeah," CJ said regarding Donna optimism, not entirely convinced it was a good thing. "He just better be careful. I don't want to get hit with questions in the pressroom. Leo and the administration have had too much bad press."

"I'm sure he'll let us all know when the time is right," Abbey assured CJ, having the final word on the subject. Ainsley didn't need to hear this kind of talk so early in her relationship. She didn't need to have doubts planted in her head the two of them already had enough against them.

No one else said a word. Abbey had made her position clear and even though she made it clear she was Abbey tonight, her tone booked no arguments.

In the silence the sudden ringing from the phone caused Ainsley to jump as it echoed through the loft. Reaching for the handset, she answered, "Hello?"

 _"Hey..."_

"Hey," she replied with a smile, recognising his voice and acknowledging the softness in it as opposed to the sharpness she'd heard earlier.

 _"Want to bring Spot and meet me in the Mall for a late night stroll? I think I have some explaining to do about today."_

"You do and I can't. I have guests," she explained. He obviously didn't know about the little gathering.

 _"Who?"_

"Just some friends and co-workers. We were sharing office gossip, complaining about our bosses and who knows maybe we'll even talk about our boyfriends..."

 _"Girl talk, oh God. I'll call you later to see if your little soirée has broken up yet."_

"Okay," she said before hanging up the phone.

"Boyfriends? Who has time for a boyfriend?" Margaret asked sarcastically, still not willing for forgive Leo for his attitude today.

"Donna are you and Cliff dating again?" Ainsley asked, already knowing that her two friends had decided to just 'be friends'. Most people didn't know just how close of friends her and Cliff were or how big a favour she now owed him.

Donna shook her head "No, we decided we'd make better friends. So now we go out for dinner every now and again and have a great time talking about our lives."

"Mallory, have you decided to give Sam another chance yet?" Abbey asked.

"No. I'm not sure if it would work between us..." she said, her voice drifting off. Shifting the focus away from her, Mallory asked, "Ainsley, what about you? Are you dating anyone?"

Smiling, she answered, "Yes. He wasn't what I would have called my ideal man."

"There is no such thing as an ideal man," CJ disagreed cynically, interrupting Ainsley. She had yet to meet the man she would consider ideal.

"Yes, there is," Donna protested.

"You only say that because your ideal is Josh," CJ countered confirming that she too thought there was more to Donna and Josh's relationship despite evidence to the contrary.

"Hardly," Donna clarified. "I have two rules, well I have more, but two in particular when it comes to friends and men. Never live with or have sex with your best friend. Josh is my best friend. We can say things to one another that we can't with anyone else. But would I consider him my ideal -- I'd kill him first."

"Margaret?" Mallory asked.

"Hard to say. I'll let you know when I find him."

"So it's not Dad?" Mallory teased. Margaret had stuck by her father through a lot of shit and she often thought it was because Margaret had a thing for him.

"No!" Margaret replied vehemently. "Like Donna and Josh, I know way too much about Leo I'd kill him."

"Your turn Ainsley. You can't let us down," Mallory urged, bringing the conversation full circle so Ainsley could finish telling about her 'boyfriend'.

"I don't know," Ainsley said shrugging. "I think my ideal changed when I wasn't looking. Once upon a time I think it might have been like Sam only Republican. Definitely Republican."

"But now?" Abbey interrupted.

"Now I think what's inside is more important," she said with a smile.

"So tell us about the man," Margaret urged. "You already said you were dating someone."

Ainsley blushed, and then with a soft smile she began to tell them about her 'boyfriend', wishing she could tell them it was Leo. "He rocked my world. At first, before I got to know him, he was everything I despised. But then I got to know him and against my better judgement and everything I was brought up to believe, I found myself respecting him then falling for him."

"What's he like?" Donna injected.

"He's considerably older and has some flaws that have defined him as a person."

Margaret snorted. "Sounds like Leo." She definitely knew all about his flaws.

"He's funny in a dry way. He's loving and caring."

"Definitely *not* Leo," Margaret changed her opinion. Although she knew the softer side of Leo McGarry, she couldn't have worked for him as long as she had without knowing what kind of man he was. She just wasn't in the mood to forgive him yet.

"Who is he?" Donna asked.

"I can't say. We agreed not to tell anyone about us just yet. We want to tell my parents first and he has a few important people to tell as well," Ainsley explained, neatly getting out of telling *who* she'd been talking about.

"Ahhh..." everyone said, acknowledging her decision.

"What about you Abbey? Uncle Jed your ideal?" Mallory asked turning to the woman she'd known all her life.

"Jed and I have been together for so long, I don't remember what my ideal was. He's a lot like..." she almost said Leo but refrained. "He's a lot like Ainsley's mystery man. And there are days I feel like Donna and Margaret -- if I didn't love him so much I'd have to kill him."

"Abbey, there are days I'd be willing to shoot him for you," CJ said raising her glass to the First Lady.

"I'm sure there are." Abbey knew it wasn't easy to work with Jed. He could frustrate even the most patient of people.

CJ stifled a yawn and said reluctantly, "Seeing as how I have to be in early for the first briefing, I'd better be going."

"Me too. I'm sure Leo will be in at first light chomping at the bit to get busy," Margaret declared.

"Since I came with Margaret, I guess that means I'm going too," Donna said sadly.

A quick clean up of the empty food containers and wine bottles was done. Then amid the 'good-byes', 'thank yous', and the 'we'll have to make this a regular thing' the phone rang. Mallory was closet to the handset and since Ainsley was in hostess mode she answered, "Hello?"

 _"...Mallory?"_

"Yeah," she replied, recognising her father's voice.

 _"I take it the party is still going on?"_

"It's just ending, and only Abbey and I are left."

 _"So it's safe for me to come in?"_

Mallory looked up to make sure everyone else had left before she answered. "I'd give CJ, Margaret and Donna time to actually get out of the building, but basically yeah, it's safe."

 _"Okay."_

Mallory hung up the phone and waited until Ainsley came back in from walking everyone to the elevator. "Dad'll be up in a few minutes," she told Ainsley and watched the transformation take place. There was no way to disguise Ainsley's feeling for Leo.

Turning to Abbey as Ainsley excused herself to brush her teeth and remove any traces of the few sips of wine she drank, Mallory grinned. 'I have Fifty dollars that says they will give themselves away before they announce it."

"If she looks at him like that in public, it's a sucker bet," Abbey replied smiling. She was glad to have had a hand in helping them along. And even more she had Mallory on their side to help keep the secret and give them support.

"Yeah," Mallory agreed. "You know, I don't think I ever saw that look on Mom's face," she said almost wistfully.

"I did," Abbey commented. "When they were first falling in love. Before Leo got too far into the bottle." She remembered how much Leo loved Jenny and how things fell apart when the drinking took over.

Mallory never had a chance to respond. The dog started barking and her father walked in the door. She stared in amazement as she noticed the fact he was in jeans and a sweater and then when he played with the dog before calling, "Ainsley." Then he turned and greeted the others.

"Abbey," he said as he greeted his best friend's wife, by taking her hand and kissing her cheek. "Mal," he said as he grabbed his daughter and gave her a big hug.

"Hey," Ainsley said when he came out of the bathroom and saw him, her smile giving away how glad she was to see him.

"Hey," he echoed with a smile as he sat down in one of the big chairs and pulled her into his lap as soon as she was close enough. "Sorry I was such a bear today," he apologised.

"So why did you have Margaret wanting to burn you in effigy today?" Abbey asked, curious. Leo certainly didn't look like he'd been in a mood all day.

"I was a bit cranky," Leo admitted sheepishly, kissing Ainsley's cheek.

"You cranky? Dad, say it isn't so?" Mallory deadpanned, taking a sip of wine she appropriated from Ainsley to hide her smile.

"That will be enough out of you young lady," Leo said trying to be stern but finding it very hard with Ainsley giggling in his lap.

"She thinks you have a secret girlfriend," Abbey informed him wanting to see his expression

"And that you haven't gotten laid lately," Mallory added with a smirk, baiting him.

"We know that isn't true, however. We watched Ainsley pick up the trail of clothing," Abbey added quickly and watched as Leo managed a small blush and Ainsley hid her face in his neck.

Leo recovered quicker than Ainsley. "Me getting laid or seemingly needing to, seems to be a common theme today. Jed told me the same thing."

Ainsley looked up at him quickly to see if she'd heard him correctly then blushed and hid her face again.

"You were so bad Jed commented?" Abbey asked, not sure if she'd heard him right.

"I wasn't exactly merry sunshine today," Leo replied dryly.

Ainsley looked up and touched his cheek. "Leo, what happened?"

Leo sighed. "I didn't want to do it like this. I wanted the right setting."

"Do what? You're scaring me."

"Don't be," he reassured her. Taking her hand he kissed her palm, shutting out everyone else in the room. "This morning when I woke up, I laid there and watched you sleep for a while. You were so beautiful in the morning light. You were curled around 'Leo the leopard' and Spot was stretched out along your legs. Getting up was the last thing I wanted to do. When I came in and kissed you goodbye you said, 'love you' in your sleep. At that moment nothing else mattered to me, all I wanted to do was crawl back in bed, wake you up and tell you how much I loved you."

"You love me?" Ainsley asked quietly, not sure she'd heard him right.

"Yeah," he replied with a smile.

"Oh Leo," she sighed, "I love you," she declared, hugging him.

"That's our cue to leave," Abbey commented to Mallory, sharing a soft smile with Leo's daughter.

"Yeah," Mallory agreed.

Both women stood preparing to leave until they heard Leo's voice. "We'll walk you out. Gotta take Spot out one more time before we go to bed," he told them as he pushed Ainsley off his lap so he could stand.

Grabbing their coats and leashing the dog, Ainsley and Leo walked Abbey and Mallory down to the waiting car and Secret Service agents. Saying their good-byes, Abbey had the last word before the car door closed, "Tell Jed soon."

Leo nodded, she was right, he needed to tell Jed. He just wasn't sure how his friend would take the news. With his arm around Ainsley they watched the car drive away. When the taillights disappeared around a corner, they walked Spot around the block holding hands.


End file.
